Medical physics has made significant scientific progress in the last decade. The results have influenced the way we practice medicine. The role of technology and the supporting physics and engineering in health care has never been greater. Consequently, medical physics research has become more complex and work is often done by only a few highly recognized groups of scientists or institutions around the world. These developments are widening the gap between research conducted in highly developed countries and the rest. But even more significant is the gap in clinical practice. Developing countries often lack equipment or trained personnel to fully utilize existing equipment. Shortages of qualified staff and equipment are growing constraints to treating cancer effectively. Many experts predict a long-term crisis in cancer management, not only in the availability of treatment options but also in assuring patients’ safety. Adapted from an abstract submitted to AAPM (2010) by Harald Paganetti, Chairman IOMP Science Committee. Australia’s population will reach 22.5 million some time this year, ranking it 51st in the world [1]. New Zealand’s population is approximately a fifth of this, ranking it 123rd in the world. Combined, the peoples of Australasia represent 0.394% of the world population. It seems almost ludicrous to expect some sort of unique contribution from antipodean medical physicists to the world of medicine and health care and yet I believe that we contribute significantly above expectation for a population of this ranking. If we look at the world of health care, Australia finds itself in a very unusual place i.e. half way between having a national health care system and a totally private health care system. The situation in New Zealand is similar. Foreigners find this system more difficult to understand than Australian Rules Football or even cricket. The consequences of such a dichotomy in health services are many, but in the fields where medical physicist predominantly work, this means that we in Australasia have access to technology and equipment equal to the most affluent countries with private health systems, while still retaining the principles of a national health system. For example although in our department we have five linear accelerators with current cutting edge technology, outpatients are bulk billed to Medicare. Health systems which are based on financial returns i.e. profits, pose a problem. As a Conference Visitor recently put it, financial returns on investments in health care are highly motivated in keeping the patient alive, but not cured. Only with this scenario can profits be maximised. If the patient is cured or is permitted to die, they are no longer in need of expensive drugs or treatment technologies. Conversely it can be said that a cured patient is no longer a burden on overstretched health resources. In the light of increasing costs of technology to support modern medical practices, it is hardly surprising that the N. Suchowerska (&) Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia e-mail: natalka@email.cs.nsw.gov.au